The US Senate has unanimously passed the legislation that would allow victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, despite veto threats from the White House. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, if passed byCongress and signed by the President, which seems highly unlikely, will allow US nationals to sue the nation-states whose citizens were involved in criminal activities against them. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the legislation even if it passes through Congress. The White House believes that it would badly impact the relations with the Kingdom and cannot afford to antagonise an ally in its war on terror, especially in the current situation of the Middle East. In the recent past, theSaudi government had threatened to sell 750-billion dollars worth USTreasury securities and other assets to prevent the US courts from freezing them, in case the bill was passed by the US government. The matter also came under discussion during the recent trip of President Obama to the Kingdom. In case the bill is vetoed and sent back to Congress, it can override the presidential veto with two-third majority in both the House and the Senate. In such a case, it would be a significant departure from the current foreign policy of the US government. Another major problem for Obama administration is the support for the bill among the Democrats. Many senators from the Democratic aisle have lent support to the controversial bill. In light of these developments, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir has warned that the legislation would harm bilateral ties and would forces them to withdraw their investments in the US. The problem does not lie with whether the Saudi authorities were involved in the 9/11 attacks or not; it lies with the fact that the bill would allow suing government of any country for the actions of its citizens. This could harm US diplomatic relations with many countries, and in thecurrent scenario in the Middle East, the US cannot afford to lose an ally. With the rise of the IS and instability in the region, the US needs support from the regional powers. Furthermore, in the current economic glitch Saudi Arabia finds itself in, it cannot afford to sell off the securities and assets in the US. The oil glut has severely hit oil-reliant Saudi economy in recent past, and it could face massive financial lossesin case it decides to disinvest in the US. The US lawmakers would need to amend the bill to a certain extent so that it does not harm the diplomatic relations between the concerned countries. With the presidential elections approaching, it wouldbecome a major issue in the foreign policy manifestos of the candidates. *